an international comparison of the composition and ... · participants •of the 72 part-time...
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An international comparison of the
composition and motivations of volunteer
officers in a UK and US police force
Dr Ian Pepper, Teesside University, UK
Dr Ross Wolf, University of Central Florida, USA
Aim of research
• Compare the composition of the part-time volunteer
police services in Cleveland Police, UK and the
Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Florida, USA.
• This included the uniformed volunteer’s employment
status, age, gender, years of experience, motivations
for volunteering and the hours volunteered.
Methodology
• Sought Institutional Review Board (USA) / Ethics
Committee (UK) university approval.
• Approval of both volunteer police agencies and Force
executives.
• Questionnaires were distributed to participants
selected using convenience sampling during a regular
meeting.
• Informed consent was obtained from each participant
with their confidentiality assured.
Participants
• Of the 72 part-time volunteer police officers within
Cleveland Police, 31 participated.
(The force has 1,378 regular officers)
• Cleveland Police covers an area of 600 km2 with a high
population density and high crime
• Of the 85 part-time volunteer deputies within Orange
County Sheriff’s Office, 40 participated.
(The department also has 1,400 full-time deputies).
• Orange County Sheriff’s Office covers an area of 2,600
km2. Also has high population density and high crime.
Outcomes
Outcomes
Outcomes
UK UK USA USA
Male Female Male Female
Mean 29 26.8 27.8 4
Median 30 21 20 4
Mode 16 16 20 8
Highest 120 60 80 8
Lowest 8 16 8 0
Hours Donated per month
Outcomes
Cleveland Police (UK) Motivations for Volunteering:
• 42% of officers selected ‘I want to join the regular
police service and this provides an insight into that
role’,
• 36% of officers selected ‘I want to contribute to my
community’,
• 32% of officers selected ‘I have an interest in law and
policing in general’
Outcomes
Orange County Sheriff’s Office (USA) Motivations for
Volunteering:
• 35% of deputies selected ‘I have an interest for law and
policing in general’,
• 20% of deputies selected ‘I want to contribute to my
community’
• 20% of deputies selected ‘I used to be a regular officer
and want to make use of my knowledge and expertise’.
• 5% of deputies selected ‘I used to be a regular officer
and want to keep in touch with my colleagues’.
Thoughts
• Volunteers participants were highly male dominated.
• Age range was predominantly younger in the UK with
the US having a far more even spread of ages.
• Majority UK/US in full-time or part-time employment
• Average hours donated a month is 28.6 (UK) and 27.3
hours (USA).
• Motivations fell mainly into either the category of
improved personal development or personal values.
• Quarter of US respondents reported that they are
volunteers in the force because of prior employment.
Implications
• Cost savings.Example: (West Yorkshire Police, 2012) reported that during the
year 2011/2012, volunteer police officers completed over 129,000
duty hours, which would have cost over £2 million.
• Recruitment of students or those not in employment.
• Recruitment of more female volunteer officers and
retired officers.
• Future research to be widened to include additional
UK, US and European volunteer police services.
References/Bibliography
• HMIC. (2015). Crime and Policing Comparator. Available
from: http://www.justiceinspectorates.gov.uk/hmic/crime-
and-policing-comparator/ (23rd September 2015)
• Musick M and Wilson J (2008) Volunteers: A Social Profile.
Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
• West Yorkshire Police (2012) ‘Did You Know?’. [Online]
http://www.westyorkshire.police.uk/training (24th Sept
2014).
An international comparison of the
composition and motivations of volunteer
officers in a UK and US police force
Dr Ian Pepper, Teesside University, UK
Dr Ross Wolf, University of Central Florida, USA